Earlex 5000 - best price?

[Randy Smith]

I'm ready to pull the trigger on an Earlex 5000 and was wondering if anyone has a lead on a good price? Sears has done away with the extra needle package but the single needle package costs $299 with 8% off with Bing. Woodcraft still has the two needle package with the price around $339 and free shipping. Any cheaper options? Thanks.

[Tony Bilello]

When I got the 2 needle package from Woodcraft, it also came with a cleaning kit, basically a bunch of brushes.
The single needle package sounds like the better deal with the 8% off, however, I dont know which needle comes with it. I spray lacquer which is fairly thin and I need the 2.0 needle. The 1.5 is too small unless you really thin it out.
Just figure out what you will be spraying and that should help make your decision. If you thin anything enough, it will go through a 1.5, but thinning also gives runs and drips.

[Pete McMahon]

When I got the 2 needle package from Woodcraft, it also came with a cleaning kit, basically a bunch of brushes.
The single needle package sounds like the better deal with the 8% off, however, I dont know which needle comes with it. I spray lacquer which is fairly thin and I need the 2.0 needle. The 1.5 is too small unless you really thin it out.
Just figure out what you will be spraying and that should help make your decision. If you thin anything enough, it will go through a 1.5, but thinning also gives runs and drips.

You mentioned a few times you spray pre-cat lacquer. What is your un-thinned viscosity?
A five to ten percent reduction with lacquer and a 1.5 works fine. I've never found that a thinned lacquer produces runs and drips. The operator does.
You could say the fatter coating sprayed with a larger tip would produce sags and curtaining. But then again it's the person holding the gun.
Both of those tips are useful.
Another way to look at it is the 2.0 can limit you to higher viscosity liquids although I'm sure you've used it with thinner liquids as the need arises. It's just what the hand and eye gets used to.

[Tony Bilello]

.......What is your un-thinned viscosity?
I have no idea. I never did find those cups and timing to be accurate. I just thin it to where I dip a large screwdriver into it and see how fast it runs down the blade. I dont time it, I just know what works for me. Tony B
A five to ten percent reduction with lacquer and a 1.5 works fine.
Lacquer solids content varied somewhat from manufacturer to manufacturer. I mostly use Gemini barnd lacquers. There are various numbers and types of viscosoity cups, so you must know what the recommended cup and timing is for your particular needs. A viscosity cup came with the Earlex 5000. I have no idea if it is a Zohn cup or not and what number it is. What I do know is that the Earlex recommended timing required was way too fast for my pre-cat lacquer. The Pre-cat I used took well over 60 seconds to empty from the cup. The pre-cat that was colored (pigmented) was even thicker. It seems like the lacquer you use is quite suited for your gun. If I only thinned 10%, the lacquer will spatter even with the 2.0 cup. Spraying is not new to me so I know the difference. Tony B
I've never found that a thinned lacquer produces runs and drips. The operator does.
That is only partly true as stated. 5 wet mils of 22% solids lacquer will hang. The same 5 wet mils of 15% solids will run no matter who the operator is. The difference the operator makes is in knowing when to stop.
Stopping sooner on the 15% thinned lacquer while recommended, will also require more coats. Tony B
Another way to look at it is the 2.0 can limit you to higher viscosity liquids ......
No more so than the 1.5 limits you to the thinner liquids. My recommendation was "Just figure out what you will be spraying and that should help make your decision." Tony B .

Anyway. I think the buyer should consider both tips. Generally, most people dont spray stains and dyes and if they do, they use the smaller tip.

[Pete McMahon]

Anyway. I think the buyer should consider both tips. Generally, most people dont spray stains and dyes and if they do, they use the smaller tip.

Tony,
Some good points. I never use a viscosity cup either. I found using the stirring stick worked just fine. I also have a system that when I open the gun after spraying for a moment, I count the seconds that it takes coming out of the stem; so many for a flow coat, more for a build coat.
I too have quite a bit of time on a gun.
On thinning and runs; Personally I thin it sparingly. I just prefer to shoot a slightly thinner coat. Besides finishing furniture, cabinets etc where I have some limited vertical areas, I've finished a great deal of paneled rooms. I shoot a tack coat on an area and then come back and hang a wet coat on it. No runs or sags. Can they happen, of course, but time on the tool has alleviated that problem.
I know most people who do weekend finishing will rarely spray a dye or a stain. However as skills advance, it's good to know they have the ability to do so. When I shoot a dye, I use the same tip and just back the air down.

The great thing about these forums is the exchange of techniques and ideas. We all have slightly different ways of achieving our means. With the likes of you, J. Scott Holmes and Howie Acheson it's a win-win situation for everyone.

[Brad Wood]

I'm ready to pull the trigger on an Earlex 5000 and was wondering if anyone has a lead on a good price? Sears has done away with the extra needle package but the single needle package costs $299 with 8% off with Bing. Woodcraft still has the two needle package with the price around $339 and free shipping. Any cheaper options? Thanks.

back to the OP....

I searched around for prices on the 3000 and 5000. It seemed pretty much everyone had similar prices. I ended up with the 3000 and got it from Amazon, so check their prices. I'm pretty sure the 5000 comes with the cleaning kit.

for what its worth, the cleaning kit at Woodcraft is listed for $15.00 and I had to contact Earlex directly for a 1mm needle for the 3000, they quoted me $25.00. I imagine the 5000 needles run around the same.

If the Woodcraft unit has the cleaning kit and a different size needle (or the same size and you want/need either), I'd guess that is probably the better deal (I'm not factoring the 8% though, I'll let you do the math with shipping and discounts and all that :) )

[Tony Bilello]

When I bought mine at woodcraft about 9 weeks ago or so, it was $299 with the 1.5 and 2.0 tip and the cleaning kit.
I'm not sure, but I think extra tips for the 5000 are around $40. Cant remember for sure, but like anything else, nothing is free.

[Tony Bilello]

........I never use a viscosity cup either. I found using the stirring stick worked just fine. I also have a system that when I open the gun after spraying for a moment, I count the seconds that it takes coming out of the stem; so many for a flow coat, more for a build coat..

Pete
I dont think I ever met anyone that uses a viscosity cup. I think the various methods people use are sometimes comical. but they work. So when I used the cup that came with the Earlex and it didnt work for me, I was not surprised, but was open enough to give it a whirl. And yes, I also use the thinner sparingly. I get smoother and more level coats. As for experience, it dont take long for a beginner to figure out A), it's too thin or B) I put on too much.
Sometimes when I have complicated pieces, I am forced to use more thinner and retarder just so I can keep the entire surface wet at the same time to avoid that 'dull' spot. I had just that problem the other day spraying some bed headboard and footboards.
I used the Earlex on the black desk, but had to use a Harbor Freight touch-up gun on the chair and the bed.
Like I said, sometimes you just have to have different spray guns, just like you have to have different routers.

[Loren Blount]

Wood werks has the Earlex 5000 for $269. Best price I've found, though I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet.
Loren



http://www.woodwerks.com/earlex-hv5000-spray-station-p-5850.html

[Randy Smith]

Thanks for all the input. I decided to check bing again this afternoon and the sears cashback was up to 20%. So I went with it. Here is the final breakdown on my purchase:

Earlex 5000 price: $299.99 (one needle)
Earlex 5000 1.5mm needle: $39.99
Shipping: $9.65
Local sales tax: $15.75

Total: $365.38

However there were a couple discounts.

Free Shipping on tool orders over $79: -$9.65
Coupon code (ANEXTJUMP25300) for $25 off orders of $300: -$25

Total: $330.73

Bing Cashback of 20%: -$62.99

Total: $267.74 for the Earlex with two needles, tax and shipping included. Not bad. Now I just have to wait for it to arrive and my bing cashback money to show up in my account.

[Tony Bilello]

Congrats on your purchase.......and the price.
If you have any questions, just fire away on here. Also, the female engineer at their tech support is pretty good also.